The Rise & Fall of Katniss Everdeen & Peeta Mellark
by Heaven Is A Book Shop
Summary: AU, Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark have been through a lot. From unrequited love to The Hunger Games. Capitol parties to tabloid bombshells. "There was one guy, he was sweet and funny, he was my Romeo... But eventually it came to the point where he blew me one last kiss as I walked out of his life; that was the day Romeo died."


**A/N: This story is mostly copy and pasted (and rearranged) from the Katniss & Peeta Chapter in my Music Challenges drabbles because someone asked me to turn them into a one-shot. All sections of text written in italics is ****_not_**** from the music challenge and is there so the story has structure and makes sense.**

**Usual disclaimers apply.**

**The Rise & Fall of Katniss Everdeen & Peeta Mellark**

The brunette stood in the Hob as she closed her eyes and saw a pair of soft blue eyes. Those were the eyes that haunted her dreams, the eyes that had blown her mind, blown away the stars.

But how did Peeta feel? He probably hated her, Katniss Everdeen: another grubby Seam girl. She would get over him, one day.

As, Katniss left the Hob, she heard the Mellark brothers talking, she heard Peeta's soft melodic voice whisper,

"There she goes, Katniss Everdeen, the girl I can't talk to, the girl I'm in love with."

_Maybe, he feels _does _the same way._ Katniss thought as she walked home.

* * *

Peeta sat on his bedroom window, watching the world going by. He contemplated many things, the meaning of life, that French homework he should be doing, love.

He knew one day he would find the girl for him. While his brothers fell head over heels, he stayed up late at night baking. He just wished there was someone for him to hold in his arms as he slept.

He looked down at the bakery window front and saw Katniss Everdeen and her sister, whispering. If he didn't give in he might one day have Katniss Everdeen in his arms. One day.

* * *

_Peeta stood in the crowds. Waiting. Waiting for another year of torture as two more kids from the Seam where killed in what the Capitol called "_entertainment_" but what everyone else called a "_pointless-suffering-to-the-masses-in-the-form-of-u nrealistic-reality-televison_" or more commonly "_The Hunger Games_"._

_So Peeta stood in the crowds. He watched as Katniss Everdeen volunteered to save her sister's life. He watched as Effie Trinket "_bets her buttons_" that was Katniss' sister. A fact that everyone else already knew or had already guessed._

Always the Seam kids_, is what Peeta thinks, that is, until Effie reads out the next name, and his whole world is crushed._

* * *

The lights flashed and cameras swivelled. But Katniss Everdeen didn't notice this, the skilled huntress, was as alert as a mouse during hibernation. Those _eyes_, her interview was in two minutes and she couldn't get _those_ eyes out her head. Why did Peeta have to have such pretty eyes? Boys shouldn't have such pretty eyes.

_Have you heard yourself? Since when did you use the word '_pretty'_? _Katniss asked herself impatiently.

* * *

Katniss sat up in the sleeping bag, another nightmare. She stared around the cave as Peeta stirred next to her, his eye lids fluttered open to reveal blue irises.

"Another one?"

He didn't have to say what '_one_' was.

"I just that wish we didn't have to be here. I wish we could be at home. They had back hope there, there is no hope here."

* * *

_Thanks to one madly in love girl from District 12 (and some poisonous berries), Katniss and Peeta spent many happy years together, and many years as the Capitol's centre of attention. They both knew the downsides to their fame: the paparazzi, mentoring new tributes, the nightmares, and the despair._

_But of course there were positives too…_

_Now, Katniss Everdeen wasn't one for dancing – she couldn't bear the walk of shame the morning after – but you could hardly turn down an invitation to some of the Capitol's high profile parties, especially Caesar Flickerman's birthday party…_

* * *

There she was, Katniss Everdeen, his fellow tribute and love of his life. They had been inseparable for years, yet he still found himself tongue tied around her.

"Peeta, do you like my new dress? Personally I hate it, but Madge insisted."

Peeta Mellark just stared; she was stunning in the green silk, the colour of her forest.

"Y-You look…"

Why couldn't he find the words? It always went like this. She would come in looking stunning, even in her old sweats and he would find himself tongue tied again.

* * *

Her heels clicked along the tiled floor, well… one of them did.

_Where was the other one?_ Peeta wondered.

"Peeta," Katniss groaned, she looked shattered. "We have to stop this… this partying."

"Where's my shirt?" was all he said in reply. His was just as hammered as his girlfriend.

Katniss let out an uncharacteristic girly laugh, "I think that homeless guy stole it."

"We have to stop coming to the Capitol." He grinned as she lent in for a morning kiss.

* * *

Katniss was staring out the window, dusk had fallen and the night was as black as ink. The young victor saw her fellow victor Peeta Mellark trudging through the snow up the drive way. He let himself in as usual, and as usual Katniss felt that strange sensation she felt when they were alone.

Peeta flicked on the sound system and melodic music filled the room. The blonde boy held out his arms and said three words, "Dance with me."

Katniss slipped into his embrace and slowly began to move in time with Peeta. He was leaving next week, but she knew however far away she would always love him. It didn't matter how many fights and rows they had, she would love him. Cushioned in his warm embrace, she knew he felt the same.

* * *

_He said he'd be a few weeks, that was six months ago. Of course, he still called District 12, sometimes. But he never visited. Something had always stopped him, trains being cancelled, emergency dinners he _had_ to attend, a last minute interview with Caesar Flickerman. The real reason they never saw each other was simple: Peeta hated District 12; Katniss hated the Capitol._

* * *

She sat outside, drinking her coffee. That first day at the reaping, that's when she had realised it, she couldn't lose the boy with the bread. After not seeing him for six months, Katniss Everdeen was ready to admit it, she was missing Peeta Mellark. Her mind wandered back to that Capitol party, with the dancing and drinks. Especially the dancing.

* * *

_"So this is what you have been up to for the last six months!?"_

_She waved the tabloid paper in his face, the headline read: "_Everdeen is Not Forever: Peeta Mellark Finds New Lover_" and several pictures of Peeta kissing a girl – a girl that was _not_ Katniss Everdeen. When Katniss had planned to come to the Capitol for a surprise visit this was the last thing she'd expected to find._

_Peeta tried to calm her by placing his hands either side of her face, "Katniss, I was drunk, I swear, I didn't mean for this to happen."_

_"Drunk?" Katniss pushed him away. "What? For _six months_? Even Haymitch couldn't be that drunk, Peeta."_

_There was a pause, Peeta sat down on the edge of the sofa with a sigh, "Katniss, I love you, I always have–"_

_"What's her name?" Katniss wasn't giving in that easily._

_"You really want to know?"_

_"Yes." _No, but he doesn't have to know that_, she thought._

_"Winnow Scrymgeour."_

_"D-do you love her?"_

_There was another long pause, it probably only lasted three seconds but it seemed more like three decades._

_"Not as much as I love you."_

* * *

The suitcase sat on the bed, packed to the brim, waiting to be taken to its next destination. This was it Katniss Everdeen grabbed the bag and headed out the door of the tiny apartment.

"Katniss, wait _please_!" The blonde boy grabbed her wrist.

The grey eyed girl turned on her heals to face him, "No Peeta," she said as she pulled her wrist free. "I can't do this anymore, this it for us."

"No Katniss…"

"If you really love me, then you can blow me one last kiss as I leave through that door."

And he did, as Katniss left for the station and out of his life.

* * *

They lay untouched under the bed, all his letters. This had to end and soon, Katniss Everdeen was done. She and Mellark were over. Why didn't he get that?

He was too soft, too kind; right now he was probably crying. He probably cried every night, she didn't care. Why should she? Gale wasn't so soft, he wouldn't cry over her.

That was it Peeta Mellark, was her Romeo. But Romeo must die at some point. It wasn't his fault, well… maybe it was.

* * *

_And that was their story; that was the rise and fall of Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark._

_Peeta had a long but not-as-happy-as-it-should-have-been marriage to Winnow Scrymgeour, he named their youngest daughter Prim – he wasn't brave enough to name her after the _other_ Everdeen girl__._

_Despite having survived the Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen was soon known as "_The Unlucky _One" after a short fling with Gale Hawthorne which ended with Gale leaving Katniss for Madge Undersee._

_In an interview with Caesar Flickerman, she was asked why she never found anyone else, she answered: "There was one guy, he was sweet and funny, he was my Romeo. He was my first love, it was cosmic; we spent our days thinking of each other; he was all I thought about in the Games; he gave me hope; we were starstruck, I suppose; there were times we walked in shame together; but we were always as cliché as a lovesong; and every moment was like walking on holy ground. But eventually it came to the point where he blew me one last kiss as I walked out of his life; that was the day Romeo died."_

* * *

**A/N: If you're wondering why the bit were Katniss is talking at the end is _so_ long, it's because I tried to get all the song titles or themes onto one bit. :D**

**Thanks for reading! :)**


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